From 8-11PM, the XXX Olympicsaveraged a huge 8.2 among adults 18-49, though the telecast aired from 8PM to midnight. For comparison, that up 6% among adults 18-49 from the 8-11PM fast nationals for the first night of the Beijing Olympics, on Saturday August 9, 2008 which scored a 7.7 rating among adults 18-49 and were watched by 24.10 million total viewers.

Note: Sorry, we only have half hours ratings today. In the meantime, averaging these half hours into ratings for each show will often lead to errors.

Fast Affiliate Ratings: These first national ratings, including demographics, are available at approximately 11 AM (ET) the day after telecast, and are released to subscribing customers daily. These data, from the National People Meter sample, are strictly time-period information, based on the normal broadcast network feed, and include all programming on the affiliated stations, sometimes including network programming, sometimes not. The figures may include stations that did not air the entire network feed, as well as local news breaks or cutaways for local coverage or other programming. Fast Affiliate ratings are not as useful for live programs and are likely to differ significantly from the final results, because the data reflect normal broadcast feed patterns. For example, with a World Series game, Fast Affiliate Ratings would include whatever aired from 8-11PM on affiliates in the Pacific Time Zone, following the live baseball game, but not game coverage that begins at 5PM PT. The same would be true of Presidential debates as well as live award shows and breaking news reports.

Rating: Estimated percentage of the universe of TV households (or other specified group) tuned to a program in the average minute. Ratings are expressed as a percent.

Share (of Audience): The percent of households (or persons) using television who are tuned to a specific program, station or network in a specific area at a specific time. (See also, Rating, which represents tuning or viewing as a percent of the entire population being measured.)

Time Shifted Viewing – Program ratings for national sources are produced in three streams of data – Live, Live+Same Day (Live+SD) and Live+7 Day. Time shifted figures account for incremental viewing that takes place with DVRs. Live+Same Day (Live+SD) include viewing during the same broadcast day as the original telecast, with a cut-off of 3:00AM local time when meters transmit daily viewing to Nielsen for processing. Live+7 Day ratings include incremental viewing that takes place during the 7 days following a telecast.

if only there was a once every four year event or an NFL game you could program 52 Saturdays (and Fridays, for that matter) a year. But the “see, people will watch TV on Saturday if you give them something they want is nonsense, because there’s just not that many things people want to watch on a Saturday.

It’s like saying “See, people watched CNN!” after Michael Jackson died or after an earthquake or during an election and saying “if CNN gave people news they were interested in, they’d watch!”

That Dude

lol yeah with these numbers, NBC doesn’t care that people are complaining about the tape delay. They put what people will watch on primetime, and it has always worked.

Jeff (Canada)

When I first glanced at the title I thought there was a porn special on TV or something.

Max

I was hoping no one was going to watch. I was hoping for more bad news for the Peacock.

adanskiii

Wow HUGE numbers.

American

With as many channels as we have now, you don’t see numbers like that very often any more. Go NBC!

RG 3 vs Luck

NBC is smart, if those same complainers were running NBC the Olympics would only be getting 10 million viewers. Stupid idiots need to shut their mouths, NBC are pros they know what their doing.

FAB 5 GYMNASTICS TONIGHT!! 35-40 million!

peter

That’s much higher than the NBA finals lol.

Jon23812

@aerilyn, that’s because there’s finally something good on. There’s usually nothing good on Saturdays.

Matt Anderson

The thirst for the Olympics is extremely high this year these are some abnormally high numbers for the games, NBC has to be super happy.

I love the Chicago Fire promos during these games. Can’t wait for that show now.

Rob R

Incredible ratings for NBC, but so many of their new programs, based on the promos, seem so mundane, forgettable. What a shame and what a lost opportunity.

RG 3 vs Luck

@Jon23812: I do believe if the network aggressively programmed Saturdays and promoted whatever was airing there I think Saturdays could work for the networks. They just simply aren’t trying and the Olympics and other sports always prove if you air it they will come.

It wasn’t that long ago when CBS was airing The District on Saturdays to over 10 million viewers.

http://tvbythenumbers.com Robert Seidman

@RG3: I do believe you’re wrong. They tried, it wasn’t worth it anymore so they stopped trying. So every couple of years during Olympics and whenever there is a Saturday NFL game on the broadcast nets, such comments will show up here like clockwork.

And in TV terms, 10 years ago is a very long time, especially with growth of DVR and Netflix/online availability in that time which have created new Saturday night viewing habits for many.

TJ

So for all the foreign people, which shows does NBC promote during the Olympics?

NBCHasProblems

The promos for Revolution were interesting and clever. NBC comedies look awful.

Anthony

So for all the foreign people, which shows does NBC promote during the Olympics?

Pretty much all their new ones. Other than new shows and the Voice I don’t recall any of their returning shows getting any promos (although I haven’t watched all the coverage so they could have had a few in there).

JJ

funny thing you have 30+ million watching a taped version of the olympics as the last event finishes in london finishes at 6pm ET

Kissan

During the Olympics, the promos for Revolution and Chicago Fire looked good.